Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• ICE enforcement surge and protests in Chicago area — ICE conducted a week-long surge of immigration enforcement operations across the Chicago area, including a day-long protest outside an ICE processing center in Broadview, Illinois on September 12. Demonstrators clashed with federal agents; reports indicate a protester was shot in the leg with a pepper ball. The operations are part of Trump's pledged immigration crackdown. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker, both Democrats, have condemned the enforcement actions and called for resistance.

Supporting reports

• Three former FBI agents filed lawsuit against Kash Patel — Three former FBI agents filed a lawsuit against FBI Director Kash Patel portraying him as a "partisan neophyte more interested in social media and swag" than professional law enforcement, occurring on the same day Patel mishandled the Kirk shooting investigation.
• Three former FBI officials sue Kash Patel for wrongful termination over Trump investigations — Three senior FBI officials—Brian Driscoll Jr., Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans—filed a federal lawsuit in Washington DC against FBI Director Kash Patel and the federal government, alleging wrongful termination and unlawful political influence. The complaint alleges Patel stated he was instructed by the White House to fire agents who worked on Trump investigations, and that Emil Bove pressured officials to compile lists of agents involved in January 6 investigations. The officials seek reinstatement, backpay, and a declaration that their firings were illegal.
• Three former FBI officials sued Patel and DOJ for politicizing the FBI — Three former top officials at the FBI filed a lawsuit against FBI Director Patel, the FBI, Attorney General Bondi, the Department of Justice, and the president, accusing them of unlawfully politicizing the FBI and purging anyone who had ever worked on a criminal investigation of Trump. The lawsuit suggests Bongino had an "intense focus on [using] his social media profiles to change his followers' perceptions of the FBI."
• FBI director and deputy director focused on social media rather than investigation — FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, both MAGA influencers without law enforcement experience, appeared to prioritize social media activity over the investigation into Kirk's shooting. Hours after the shooting, Patel's personal social media account posted a picture of himself and Kirk; minutes later, Patel's official FBI account posted conflicting updates about the suspect's custody status. Both officials appeared focused more on posting than conducting investigative work.

Supporting reports

• Complaint filed — Driscoll v. Patel (D.D.C. 1:25-cv-03109) — Three senior FBI officials, including former FBI Acting Director Brian J. Driscoll, Jr., filed suit in federal district court challenging their summary dismissal by FBI Director Kash Patel on August 8, 2025. The plaintiffs claim they were entitled to statutory protections under the FBI Senior Executive Service (5 U.S.C. § 3151), which permits removal only for specified causes such as misconduct or neglect of duty. They allege their terminations violated the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause and the First Amendment, arguing the dismissals were retaliatory and based on perceived political disloyalty rather than lawful cause. Plaintiffs seek reinstatement and an injunction against further adverse action without due process.

Supporting reports

• White House issued fact sheet on BLS jobs revisions — The White House issued a fact sheet claiming that Bureau of Labor Statistics benchmark revisions downward by 911,000 jobs from April 2024 to March 2025 vindicate President Trump's criticism of the Biden economy and the BLS itself. The statement attributes the revision to Biden-era data inaccuracy, illegal immigration, and federal spending, and calls for congressional confirmation of Trump's BLS commissioner nominee E.J. Antoni and "major reforms" to restore trust in BLS data.

Supporting reports

• Rightwing influencer accompanies ICE agents during enforcement raids in Chicago — Ben Bergquam, a far-right internet personality, accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during raids in Chicago on Sunday, filming content and confronting local residents. ICE arrested four people on the city's southwest side. Bergquam, who has a history of spreading false claims about migrants and federal agencies, was present in vehicles with agents and later yelled at protesters that they were "the enemy within." The Department of Homeland Security did not confirm whether Bergquam was authorized to participate in enforcement operations.

Supporting reports

• Federal appeals court rejected states' lawsuit over mass federal firings — A federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit by a coalition of 19 states and DC, finding that they had no legal standing to sue the Trump administration over its mass firings of thousands of federal probationary employees. The ruling prevented judicial review of the terminations.

Supporting reports

• Government Accountability Project called for investigation of FEMA employee retaliation — The non-profit whistleblower and advocacy organization, Government Accountability Project, sent a letter to lawmakers and oversight agencies to call for investigations into the "illegal retaliation" by the Trump administration against more than 30 FEMA employees, who were suspended and put on paid leave after signing an open letter warning Congress about issues at the agency. The letter said the suspensions "blatantly violate the federal laws protecting whistleblowers" and asked lawmakers to reinstate the affected employees.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys National Guard to Washington DC and calls for prosecuting minors as adults — The Trump administration deployed approximately 2,000 National Guard troops to Washington DC, temporarily taking over the city's police department. Trump called for charging teens as young as 14 as adults for certain crimes, citing a recent assault case. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated she would push to prosecute even younger minors. The deployment occurred amid a broader federal crackdown including immigration raids. DC officials and juvenile justice advocates expressed concern that the measure does not address root causes of crime and may increase police violence against young Black residents.
• Trump administration deploys national guard and federal agents to Washington DC streets — The Trump administration deployed national guard troops and federal agents to Washington DC streets, citing crime reduction as justification despite DC crime rates being at 30-year lows. The president took control of the city's police department and threatened similar federal interventions in Chicago and New Orleans. This action prompted the formation of the activist group Free DC and sparked large-scale protests, including a march of thousands to the White House on Saturday.
• Trump Administration Deploys National Guard in Washington DC — The Trump administration deployed national guard troops in Washington DC, prompting protests from residents and activist groups. The deployment is part of a broader federal intervention in the city, which has included taking over the police department and sending federal agents onto city streets. These actions have been met with significant opposition from local groups like Free DC, which argue that such federal interventions threaten the city's autonomy and democracy at large.

Supporting reports

• Trump fired previous director of Bureau of Labor Statistics — Trump fired the previous director of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after accusing her of rigging the numbers for political reasons. The firing occurred before the release of the August jobs report, which showed the U.S. added only 22,000 jobs—far below the expected 75,000—and revised downward June and July figures by 21,000 jobs.
• Trump administration fires BLS director and replaces with partisan operative — Following weak August jobs numbers, the Trump administration removed the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and replaced her with a partisan operative described as having little economic expertise. The move signals intent to alter official economic data reporting. This follows a pattern of replacing career officials with loyalists in positions responsible for collecting and publishing key economic statistics.

Supporting reports

• 1,000+ HHS employees called for RFK Jr. resignation — More than 1,000 current and former Department of Health and Human Services employees signed a letter calling for RFK Jr. to resign, saying he "continues to endanger the nation's health." They say if Kennedy doesn't resign, Trump and Congress should appoint a new secretary, "one whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science."

Supporting reports

• President Trump signs executive order to rename Department of Defense — President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War. This change requires Congressional approval and is estimated to cost billions of dollars. The new name reflects a shift in military strategy towards a more offensive posture, as articulated by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Nameplates and signage with the new name were installed in government offices, and the department's website URL was changed to war.gov.
• Trump administration renamed Department of Defense to Department of War — The Trump administration renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War. The article notes that despite the name change, the administration's primary focus appears to be immigration enforcement rather than traditional military conflict, with the rebranding reflecting the administration's framing of immigration as an existential threat requiring military-scale response.
• Trump announces plan to rename Department of Defense to Department of War — Trump announced a move to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, a change that requires passage by Congress to become official. Sen. Rand Paul stated he plans to lead opposition to the name change, arguing it sends a bad signal to the world and glorifies war in an era of nuclear weapons.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys federal immigration agents to Chicago amid Mexican Independence Day events — The Trump administration announced plans to deploy 230 federal immigration agents (primarily Customs and Border Protection) to Chicago as part of an intensified immigration enforcement effort. The deployment, combined with Trump's inflammatory rhetoric describing Chicago as "the most dangerous city in the world," prompted organizers to cancel or postpone multiple Mexican Independence Day celebrations, including El Grito Chicago (which drew 24,000 attendees in 2024). Governor JB Pritzker alleged the timing targeted Mexican community events. Thousands protested peacefully on Saturday against the deployment and broader administration policies.